In Perspective

In this episode historian Dr. Shailaja Paik discusses the factors that have impacted Dalit women's access to and quality of education in India over time. ‘In Perspective’ is The Swaddle’s podcast series where academics reveal little-known facts about Indian history, society and culture. Notes: 00:00:40:00- Why do mainstream feminists and dalit men believe that dalit women are more ‘liberated’ than high caste women? What are the problems with this though pattern? 00:04:55:12- What is ‘Dalit femininity’ and ‘oppressed sexuality,’ and how do we  interrogate and understand these two? 00:07:20:00- How was ‘a new Dalit womanhood’ forged in Colonial India? What role did social reformers like Jyotirao Phule and Dr B.R Ambedkar play in it? 00:16:04:00- What kind of culture did upper-caste Marathi elite constitute in 20th century Maharashtra? How did it reinforce inequality in ‘high’ and ‘low’ communities and culture? 00:21:47:00- How did women’s education in India change their views about themselves? 00:27:47:00- How did Dalit women have power relationships in the wider society, and how do these relationships have a bearing on  the access and quality of education? 00:33:18:00- How was the access and quality of education in formal institutions received by Dalit girls? 00:37:23:00- What was the prevailing view about access for Dali women? 00:40:00:00- What direction does academic research, especially Indian historical research, need to take to tell stories and to unearth research?

In this episode,  historian, writer and filmmaker Lata Mani discusses colonial debates on sati, feminist discourse online, and why we need to engage with spiritual thought critically. ‘In Perspective’ is The Swaddle’s podcast series where academics reveal little-known facts about Indian history, society and culture. Notes: 00:00:40:00- Can progressive aspects of religious faith and practices be used to advocate for the cause of social justice? 00:09:49:00- Why is it important to engage with religion in a  critical way? 00:15:24:00- Why do you think it's important to engage with religion? What value does it have to discourse in our country ? 00:21:49:00- What were the factors at play when it came to social reform related to women in colonial India? How much of a role did women's welfare play, and how much agency did they have? 00: 27:25:00- How do different feminist discourses converge? 00:33:00:00-  What are ways to embody a feminism that is an oppositional force? What are the ways in which we can implement this in the way we practice feminist politics? 00:35:51:00-- What role does suffering play in the imagination and creation of solidarity? How do we ensure the autonomy of dignity from suffering?

In this episode, historian Dr. Anshu Malhotra discusses reformist bazaar literature, the attack against the native 'dai' and the writings of the Sufi poetess Piro, in colonial Punjab. ‘In Perspective’ is The Swaddle’s podcast series where academics reveal little-known facts about Indian history, society and culture. Notes: 00:00:40:00- How did the rise of print media lead to new forms of ‘bazaar’ literature in colonial Punjab, and how did this become a common yet complex site for social reform? 00:01:49:00- Who was ‘Piro,’ and what made her writing in life an act of resistance against the arbitrary hierarchy of gender, caste and religion? 00:05:50:00- Why was there a Colonial attack on ‘dais’ in nineteenth century Punjab? How did ‘scientific’ midwifery become a marker of middle-class status? 00:07:23:12-  How did Lala Lajpat Rai’s writings discuss the fundamental reasons for women’s oppression? Did his writings impact the notions of womanhood in India? 00:26:07:00- How did Sikh reformers try to shape the idea of the 'new woman'? Did this differ from popular notions of womanhood supported by Hindu reformers?

In this episode, digital anthropologist, Dr. Payal Arora discusses why mobile leisure like online romance and entertainment is necessary, data policies across South Asia and why data privacy is a big concern. ‘In Perspective’ is The Swaddle’s podcast series where academics reveal little-known facts about Indian history, society and culture. Notes: 00:00:40:00- Has there been a Western bias in the evaluation of the impact of big data? 00:01:49:00- Is there a bias in framing big data as empowerment in the Global South, and what are the problems with this narrative? 00:05:50:00- How do we draw a line between doing good and the monopoly that comes with big companies helping the Global South with connectivity? How do we regulate it? 00:07:23:12- What is digital leisure? What ways can new media and the evolution of the internet enable this leisure? 00:10:34:00- How is the idea of leisure in the context of mobile internet played out for Indian youth? Can online romance, play and entertainment have a positive impact on people's life? 00:13:54:00- How has the approach to digital privacy been driven by neo liberal ideology? What will it mean to decolonise digital privacy? 00:18:19:12- Is data privacy still a big concern where there is  data surveillance by authorities? 00:22:39:12- What are some of the problems with the application of transnational data regulation policies in the contexts of the Global South? 00:26:07:00- What are the ups and downs of digital romance in India, and how does it affect the youth? Is the Indian youth aware of concepts such as data privacy? What are the downsides of romance playing out online?

In this episode, historian Dr. Seema Bawa talks about the common misconceptions about South Asian art, whether it is possible to read gender roles in early Indian art, and how artists view feminism differently today. ‘In Perspective’ is The Swaddle’s podcast series where academics reveal little-known facts about Indian history, society and culture. Notes: 00:00:48:07- What common stereotypes about South Asian art are still prevalent globally? Are they misplaced? 00:05:30:13- As opposed to the olden days when art was linked to people of elite classes, in contemporary India, are marginalized people getting space and/or recognition for their art? 00:08:39:05- How has the feminist art movement evolved in India? Should there be emphasis on the gender of the creator of a piece of art? 00:14:26:18- What kind of gender narratives do we see in early Indian art? Was there a fluidity of gender roles and desires? 00:19:37:21- In what ways has the female body been portrayed in early Indian art? And does the portrayal of female divinity offer an empowering narrative? 00:24:22:04- In what ways did colonization interact with early Indian art?  Was there a misinterpretation of our art, and what it said about India as a culture and nation? 00:28:50:13- Does art enable marginalized communities to  communicate and give us access to narratives which might otherwise have been inaccessible? Is enough recognition given to the work of marginalized communities in that formal art realm? 00:31:50:11- Why is it important to engage with art as a society?